Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Historic security framework for Ukraine set to be agreed in major step toward ending the war [July 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 12 July 2023.

A significant international framework for Ukraine’s long-term security arrangements is expected to be agreed by G7 partners in the margins of the NATO Summit today (Wednesday).
- UK and G7 allies are expected to agree a new framework for guaranteeing Ukraine’s long-term security today, delivering on an ambition the PM set out at the beginning of this year
- At the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the PM will strongly support simplifying the path to Ukraine’s NATO membership
- Comes as the Prime Minister announces a major new tranche of support for Ukraine, including thousands of additional rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition, more than 70 combat and logistics vehicles and a £50m support package for equipment repair, as well as establishing a new military rehabilitation centre
A significant international framework for Ukraine’s long-term security arrangements is expected to be agreed by G7 partners in the margins of the NATO Summit today (Wednesday).

The joint declaration, expected to be signed by all members of the G7, will set out how allies will support Ukraine over the coming years to end the war and deter and respond to any future attack. It is the first time that this many countries have agreed a comprehensive long-term security arrangement of this kind with another country.

Joint Declaration signatories will provide long-term, bilateral security commitments for Ukraine, with the aim of building a Ukraine that can defend its territorial sovereignty both today and in the future.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, the Prime Minister set out the obligation the international community had to ensure Ukraine was never again left vulnerable to the kind of brutality inflicted on it by Russia, and in turn, put the country in the best possible position for any future negotiations.

Since that speech, the UK and allies have delivered on this obligation through the continued provision of security assistance and modern military equipment across land, sea and air – prioritising air defence, artillery, long-range capabilities, and armoured vehicles.

The UK was the first G7 country to provide Ukraine with main battle tanks and the first country to provide long-range missiles. We have also been instrumental in establishing the new international coalition to provide Ukraine with combat air capability.

In the past six months, the UK has also expanded its military training programme for Ukrainian recruits. This programme has trained more than 19,000 soldiers to date and training for Ukrainian pilots in the UK will begin this summer.

Following today’s Joint Declaration, partners will provide more defence equipment, increase and accelerate intelligence sharing, bolster support for cyber and hybrid threat defences, expand training programmes and military exercises, and develop Ukraine’s industrial base.

Signatories will set out the detail of their long-term commitments to Ukraine under the framework announced today in due course.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

As Ukraine makes strategic progress in their counteroffensive, and the degradation of Russian forces begins to infect Putin’s front line, we are stepping up our formal arrangements to protect Ukraine for the long term.

We can never see a repeat of what has happened in Ukraine and this declaration reaffirms our commitment to ensure it is never left vulnerable to the kind of brutality Russia has inflicted on it again.

Supporting their progress on the pathway to NATO membership, coupled with formal, multilateral, and bilateral agreements and the overwhelming support of NATO members will send a strong signal to President Putin and return peace to Europe.

The Prime Minister will also praise Allies in the inaugural NATO-Ukraine Council today for agreeing the Alliance’s decision to simplify Ukraine’s path to joining NATO and recognise their impressive progress on adapting to alliance standards.

He will say Ukraine’s extensive strides towards NATO interoperability and its willingness to reform has already helped them make progress toward the moment when they will be ready to take their rightful place in the Alliance, adding that they have made Ukraine’s need for a formal Membership Action Plan (MAP) redundant.

Removing the need for a formal MAP would ensure Ukraine’s accession to NATO is quicker when the war is over.

In addition to the work on a long-term bilateral security pact, the UK will deliver more than 70 combat and logistics vehicles to Ukraine, including CVRT vehicles. The British Army vehicles will be gifted to Ukraine to ensure front line forces have the means to carry vital ammunition and equipment, evacuate injured soldiers and recover damaged vehicles, making them crucial to Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Thousands of additional rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition will also be immediately delivered to Ukraine as part of the package, while a new £50m equipment support contract will sustain the battle-winning platforms the UK has already provided to Ukraine including spare parts, technical support, and maintenance training.

As demonstrated by the UK’s hosting of the Ukraine Recovery Conference last month, the Prime Minister is focussed on ensuring Ukraine can recover and rebuild in the long term, including supporting members of the military injured on the front lines.

That’s why today, the UK will launch a project through NATO to establish a medical rehabilitation centre to support the recovery and return of soldiers to Ukraine’s lines of defence after being injured in combat. The centre will be twinned with the UK’s world leading facility Stanford Hall, drawing on remote UK expertise and support to accelerate recovery and reduce the long-term impacts of war.

The programme will be funded through NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine and supported by rehabilitation specialists from across the Alliance.

The centre will treat the most severely injured, helping them to adapt to prothesis, relearn to walk and regain confidence and ambition for the future. For those less severely injured, the centre will accelerate their recovery, helping them to return to the Armed Forces to defend Ukraine.

The announcement comes after several visits of the Ukrainian Surgeon General to the UK, to see first-hand how veterans have been supported to overcome and adapt to major physical challenges inflicted in conflict.
July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement by the Defence Ministers of the United Kingdom and Estonia [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 July 2023.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur signed a joint statement, deepening defence cooperation.

Over the last 12 months, the UK and Estonia have worked in exceptionally close cooperation to implement the commitments pledged at the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid. Our collaboration has delivered a more capable UK presence, better able to deter aggression and to defend Estonia in crisis and conflict. The enhanced eFP contributes to our shared objective of protecting our populations and defending every inch of Allied territory at all times.

Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and to support NATO’s new era of collective defence, Estonia and the UK continue to work together to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and forward defences in Estonia. This is underpinned by a credible forward defence posture in Estonia which includes the Estonian Defence Forces and the UK-led eFP Battlegroup which will be further reinforced, when required, by a sovereign allocated UK Brigade, held in high readiness in the UK. The UK will regularly exercise the projection of forces up to Brigade level for the reinforcement of Estonia in accordance with NATO’s regional defence plans, while Estonia will provide suitable facilities to support the UK’s permanent presence and surge capacity. Estonia and the UK commit to holding their respective forces at the appropriate readiness required by NATO’s regional defence plans and will work together to explore options for future prepositioning of equipment and ammunition forward, as required, to enable this.

In accordance with our joint objectives, since signing the Roadmap in November 2022, the UK has allocated an Armoured Brigade at high readiness for the rapid reinforcement of Estonia and uplifted the command of its eFP Headquarters to Brigadier level, enhancing the ability to receive Brigade level reinforcements at a time of need. In recognition of its enduring commitment to Estonia, the UK has also converted a number of staff officer positions to permanent posts. By maintaining Divisional level enablers in Estonia, such as the SHORAD and MLRS, the UK-led eFP Battlegroup continues to ensure a combat-ready presence in-country that offers opportunities for exercising these elements under the command of the Estonian Division HQ. As agreed, the UK has further reinforced these by deploying multiple surges of additional aviation capabilities into Estonia since January 2023.

To fulfil a NATO military requirement, Estonia established the Estonian Division in December 2022. The UK has deployed a Divisional Advisory Team to Estonia on an enduring basis to support the establishment of the Division and will embed staff officers into it in the future to further enhance the UK’s integration with the Division. Estonia will continue the development of the Estonian Division, including by acquiring additional high-end, Divisional level capabilities and commit to the Divisional HQ becoming a NATO Military Body with International Military Headquarters status within the NATO Force Structure. The UK will provide staff officers from the allocated Brigade to support the Estonian Division during the War Fighter Program in February 2024, after which the UK and Estonia will continue to look for further joint opportunities for developing the Estonian Division.

The UK and Estonia are committed to enhancing our integration and interoperability in the years to come. We will work together to develop an executable plan to enable the UK to consistently exercise reinforcement with the allocated Brigade, and other relevant units of choice, in accordance with defence plans. In 2024 the UK will exercise its Very High Readiness Air Assault Brigade Combat Team during Exercise SPRING STORM, and will exercise the allocated Armoured Brigade in 2025. This will be underpinned by a programme of Staff and Command integration activity, with a regular drumbeat of command visits from the allocated Brigade commencing in autumn 2023. The UK and Estonia will continue to work closely together to ensure the UK is fully integrated with the Estonian Defence Force’s Command and Control, with the UK Brigade aligned to the Estonian Division and fully integrated into Estonia’s National Defence Plan.

July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK businesses to get free government tool to tackle economic abuse [July 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 12 July 2023.

UK businesses and charities are set to benefit from a free interactive guide to help their staff spot and tackle economic abuse when speaking to customers over the phone, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins announced today.
Interactive guide expected to help staff spot and tackle economic abuse

95% of women who experience domestic abuse report experiencing economic abuse

Treasury minister calls for experts to provide feedback on the guide

The interactive guide, which will be available widely later this year, is being released to 30,000 HMRC staff today to help them spot the signs and create an appropriate environment for victims to disclose their experiences. It builds on the government’s Economic Abuse Toolkit, released earlier this year.

Minister Atkins met with staff and survivors at Advance charity’s West London Women’s Centre today to mark the announcement and was joined by former Love Island contestant and domestic abuse campaigner Malin Andersson.

The minister ran through an early demo of the tool with attendees at the visit to drum up momentum as she called on experts to work with HMRC to get the online tool right, before they distribute it freely online later this year.

By increasing the awareness of staff in government, business and charities of economic abuse, the government hopes the new interactive tool will play its part in stopping violence against women and girls, to build stronger communities for future generations.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins said:

The government passed the landmark Domestic Abuse Act and I am determined to build on that commitment to help victims.

Economic and financial abuse can be less understood than other forms of domestic abuse, which is why it is vital organisations share best practice with one another whenever they can.

That is why I’ve asked HMRC to work with charities and experts over the summer to produce a publicly available interactive guide which staff from any organisation which speaks to customers will be able use.

Economic abuse, which domestic violence charity Refuge estimates 16% of adults in the UK have experienced, is when an individual’s ability to acquire, use and maintain economic resources are taken away by someone else in a coercive or controlling way.

Internal guidance has been distributed to 30,000 HMRC staff today to help front line staff spot victims of economic abuse when speaking to them over the phone. It will help them understand the different types of economic abuse, as well as what signs and characteristics to look out for.

The aim is for this guidance, with support from industry, charities and experts over the summer, to be turned into a free interactive tool to support businesses and organisations whose employees also speak to customers daily.

Malin Andersson said:

We need everyone to work together if we’re going to be able to stamp out domestic abuse once and for all, so it’s fantastic to see an initiative which will make a difference by training so many people, from businesses and charities, to recognise economic abuse.

Minister Atkins will also introduce the early demo of the interactive guidance to representatives from the financial services sector and charities at a roundtable later today, where she will hear more about what the sector is doing to tackle economic abuse and what more can be done.

By working with stakeholders to develop and tailor it, the government wants the interactive guidance to reflect the real-world experiences of victims.

Niki Scordi, Advance’s CEO said:

Understanding the behaviours of domestic abusers and their continuous attempts to intimidate and control survivors, mainly women and children, long after they leave the abusive home is vital. This includes control through economic and financial means, such as child support, school fees, bank accounts, loans and access to employment.

Supporting survivors with specialist Domestic Abuse Advocates in the community and charities like Advance is essential to help change, and sometimes save, the lives of those devasted by domestic and economic abuse.

The internal guidance distributed by HMRC to its staff today comes hot off the heels of the Economic Abuse Toolkit released in January 2023, which aims to help public sector organisations train staff to identify economic abuse.

Specialist charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), which was one of the organisations which contributed to the Toolkit, has seen a 150% increase in its website user numbers over the past two years (April 2021 5200 users. April 2023 13,000 users).

SEA research also found seven in ten front-line professionals reported the number of victims of economic abuse coming to their organisation for help had increased since the start of the pandemic. By the end of the first lockdown, SEA found one in five women were planning to seek help around welfare benefits.

Tackling domestic abuse is a government priority and improving the response to economic abuse is integral to this. For the first time in history, economic abuse is now recognised in law as part of the statutory definition of domestic abuse included in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This is in recognition of the devastating impact it can have on victims’ lives.

Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE, CEO and founder of Surviving Economic Abuse said:

Economic abuse is an insidious and often invisible form of control, one which can trap a victim-survivor in a relationship with an abuser and leave them feeling like there is no escape. This form of abuse can create dependency on an abuser by restricting their access to economic resources, or instability if the survivor is forced to cover all household costs. It causes long lasting harm including debt and bad credit, so that even when someone manages to leave, these effects can follow them around for the rest of their lives, often preventing them from moving on safely.

We know that victim-survivors are more likely to disclose economic abuse to their bank than they are to the police.

It is crucial that frontline employees – whether they work in the public or private sector – are trained to understand economic abuse and how abusers might use their service to continue to control a victim. It is vital they are given the knowledge and the tools to spot the signs of economic abuse, develop specialist responses and feel confident signposting a survivor to broader support. The right response can be life changing.

We’re delighted to see the Treasury take this important step to ensure victim-survivors of economic abuse get a good response whoever they speak to. We look forward to working together to ensure this new interactive guide helps organisations effectively respond to economic abuse.

Further information

The Economic Toolkit was collaboratively developed and published by the Government Debt Management Function and the debt advice sector.

Members of the Fairness Group have worked together to produce the Vulnerability and the Economic Abuse Toolkit. The Fairness group comprises of members from central and local governments and debt charities (including Surviving Economic Abuse – SEA). The Debt Management area within HMRC is a member of the Fairness group and contributed to developing the toolkits.

Stakeholders should contact hmrcguidanceteam@hmrc.gov.uk to register an interest in supporting with interactive tool development.

95% of women who experience domestic abuse report experiencing economic abuse. Reference for this: SEA-EJP-Evaluation-Framework_112020-2-2.pdf (survivingeconomicabuse.org)
July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : ‘Polluters must pay’ says Environment Secretary, as unlimited penalties unveiled [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 12 July 2023.

New laws will scrap the cap on civil penalties and significantly broaden their scope to target a much wider range of environmental offences.

Those that pollute the environment will face unlimited penalties under new legislation announced today by the government (Wednesday 12 July).

The current limit of £250,000 on variable monetary penalties that the Environment Agency and Natural England can impose directly on operators will be lifted, following a government consultation which received widespread public support.

This will offer regulators a quicker method of enforcement than lengthy and costly criminal prosecutions – although the most serious cases will continue to be taken through criminal proceedings.

New powers will also enable these higher penalties to be levied as a civil sanction for offences under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, the regime under which the majority of Environment Agency investigations take place. This will ensure regulators have the right tools to drive compliance across a range of sectors, strengthening enforcement and holding all who hold environmental permits – from energy and water companies to waste operators and incinerators – to greater account.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

“Polluters must always pay. We are scrapping the cap on civil penalties and significantly broadening their scope to target a much wider range of offences – from breaches of storm overflow permits to the reckless disposal of hazardous waste.

“It builds on action being taken right across government to stand up for our environment – tackling pollution, protecting delicate ecosystems and enhancing nature.”

Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience Rebecca Pow said:

“By lifting the cap on these sanctions, we are simultaneously toughening our enforcement tools and expanding where regulators can use them. This will deliver a proportionate punishment for operators that breach their permits and harm our rivers, seas and precious habitats.

“This was one of the measures set out in our Plan for Water earlier this year. I am proud to say this government has acted swiftly so that this will now be enshrined in law, further strengthening the power of regulators to hold polluters to account.”

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said:

“We regularly prosecute companies and individuals through criminal proceedings, but these new powers will allow us to deliver penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce, even though the most serious cases will continue to go to court.

“That should be an important deterrent – boosting compliance across a range of sectors, driving down pollution and safeguarding the ecology and prosperity of our natural world.”

There are clear provisions in the Sentencing Council guidelines that will ensure the level of penalties levied are proportionate to the degree of environmental harm and culpability. These include safeguards to ensure the operator’s ability to pay, the size of the operator, and the degree of responsibility and harm, amongst others – all of which are taken into account when imposing a penalty.

The amendments to legislation will be approved by both Houses of Parliament in due course before coming into force.

As set out in the government’s Plan for Water, future environmental fines and penalties from water companies will be re-invested into the government’s new Water Restoration Fund. This fund will deliver on-the-ground improvements to water quality, and support local groups and community-led schemes which help to protect our waterways. River catchment groups – bringing together local NGOs, councils, government agencies and farmers and working together in catchments across the country – will benefit from this funding.

July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines should be treated with utmost seriousness – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

Colleagues, the UK condemns acts of sabotage on critical national infrastructure. We should treat the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines with utmost seriousness.

The international community is concerned about this act, and wants clear answers about what happened and who was responsible. As we have said before, the best way to get those answers is to support the impartial investigations of Denmark, Sweden, and Germany and to respect those processes.

We do not believe it is a good use of our time for the Security Council to start to prejudge the outcome of these investigations, dictate how they are conducted, or otherwise undermine them.

We welcome the latest update sent by Germany on behalf of Denmark and Sweden, and their commitment to updating the Security Council. Their letter underlines the complexity of ongoing investigations and underscores that this process will take time. We are confident that when these investigations conclude, their findings will be authoritative.

We, and fellow Council members, should continue to offer full support to these investigations so that we can establish who was responsible for these acts of sabotage.

Finally, we must note Russia’s inconsistent attitude towards civilian infrastructure. They claim outrage here, but are pursuing a systematic campaign to target civilian infrastructure in their war of aggression against Ukraine, killing thousands of civilians in the process. Such hypocrisy should not surprise us, but it makes it hard to take anything the Russians say on this subject at face value.

July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC53 – Explanation of vote on countering religious hatred [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

UK statement during urgent debate on countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, at UN Human Rights Council.

Thank you.

Let me say once more. We reject intolerance. We deplore discrimination. And we denounce hatred on the basis of religion or belief. We recognise the deep hurt felt by Muslims around the world caused by the burning of the Quran. Attempts to sow discord and division are contemptible. We will defend freedom of religion or belief for all, and promote mutual respect.

In combatting religious intolerance, there is a difficult balance to strike and in different societies, this balance is struck in different ways. It can be hard to determine at what point freedom of expression becomes unacceptable, and when unacceptable speech or action should be legally prohibited. We are sensitive to these complexities. These are live issues in the UK, as elsewhere.

However, international human rights law provides us with narrowly defined parameters in which freedom of expression can be limited. And we do not accept that, by definition, attacks on religion, including on religious texts or symbols, constitute advocacy for hatred.

Whilst we completely reject acts seeking to incite discrimination, hostility or violence, wherever they are carried out, we need to recognise that the primary function of the international human rights framework – forged out of the bitter experience of centuries past – is to protect individuals from the State. Tragically, there are all too many examples in the world right now and in recent years where believers – religious or not – have been ruthlessly oppressed by those who are meant to guarantee their rights.

So, while we thank OIC colleagues for their engagement on the resolution in recent days, today we have had to vote against on this resolution. Given our commitment to freedom of religion or belief, and to the consensus this Council has maintained since resolution 16/18 was agreed, this is not a decision we have taken lightly. Despite today’s vote, our hope is that we can again find a path that enables us to fight religious intolerance and stigmatisation together, as one Council.

July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Syria’s chemical weapons programme remains a threat to international peace and security – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria chemical weapons.

I start by joining others in thanking USG Ebo for his briefing.

Ten years after Syria’s accession to the chemical weapons convention, UNSCR 2118, and 117 monthly reports by the Director General of the OPCW, it remains impossible to verify the complete destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme.

This is not due to lack of effort on the part of the Technical Secretariat, whose efforts and perseverance we commend, but it is entirely the responsibility of the Syrian authorities.

Syria has consistently denied retaining any chemical weapons stockpiles, despite clear evidence to the contrary. The whereabouts of several hundred tonnes of chemical warfare agents remain unclear and their destruction still cannot be verified.

Until States Parties and the Technical Secretariat are satisfied that Syria is making meaningful progress to address the 20 outstanding issues with its declaration, we all need to continue to put pressure on Syria to abide by all its obligations. This includes the requirement for Syria to fully cooperate with the Technical Secretariat in good faith.

We should hold Syria accountable for its actions. All States must encourage Syria to abide by its obligations under the Convention. Until outstanding issues are resolved, we cannot rule out Syria retaining some sort of chemical weapons programme.

Given its repeated flagrant use of chemical weapons, we cannot exclude the possibility that the Assad regime will use chemical weapons again.

We cannot simply let this go: Syria’s chemical weapons programme remains a threat to international peace and security. It matters to all of us.

July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Minister David Rutley visits The Bahamas for the 50th Anniversary of Independence [July 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 July 2023.

Minister attends state reception and announces that the UK will publish its historic archives.

British Minister David Rutley, UK Minister for the Americas and Caribbean, visited The Bahamas to attend the state reception, joining the 50th anniversary celebrations of Bahamian independence.

He congratulated the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Cornelius Smith, and Prime Minister Honourable Philip Davis, on 50 years of economic development, national growth, and democratic strength.

Minister Rutley told the Prime Minister that the UK would digitise its National Archive materials relating to Independence, for the people of The Bahamas. The flag of The Bahamas also flew above Westminster Abbey, London, during a special service celebrating the 50th anniversary of independence.

As well as attending the state reception as official representative of the British Government, Minister Rutley met with Tony Myers, President of British company BHM, which will construct the new Freeport Airport, financed by UK Export Finance. Minister Rutley discussed the project and the jobs it will create locally, and the links it will strengthen with the UK. As part of the company’s dedication to support the long-term growth of The Bahamas, the Minister formally thanked Mr Myers for creating a Chevening Partnership, which allows Bahamians to study Masters courses in the UK with a full scholarship.

The Minister also met with the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Her Excellency Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honourable Charles Washington Misick. The Minister discussed the opening of the new office of the Turks and Caicos government in The Bahamas, and congratulated the Premier on his initiative to connect with the diaspora of Turks and Caicos in The Bahamas. The Minister congratulated the Governor on her appointment. They discussed the islands’ preparations for hurricane season, and the presence of HMS Dauntless in the region, the UK’s designated hurricane-response ship this season.

This visit follows meetings with Prime Minister Philip Davis in London before the Coronation, and in Trinidad and Tobago during the 50th anniversary celebration of CARICOM. During their meeting at the State Reception, they discussed bilateral relations and the recent debate at the Security Council about Haiti, which the UK organised and chaired.

Americas Minister David Rutley said:

In the 50th year of Bahamian independence, it is my privilege to represent the British Government in celebrating your many achievements over the past decades.

The UK is committed to deepening our historic ties in areas of shared interest, including trade, security and climate, to ensure The Bahamas’ continued prosperity and success in the years ahead.

Over the last 50 years, it is clear that The Bahamas is a strong, safe, democratic nation, whose contribution to the world has been great. Throughout the last 50 years, and for the next 50 years, our partnership endures, built on a common language, common history, common legal system, common education, and common understanding of one other.

I very much enjoyed attending the state reception hosted by HE Sir Cornelius Alvin Smith, Governor General of The Bahamas at Government House, congratulations Bahamas – march on!

British High Commissioner Thomas Hartley said:

I was so pleased to welcome Minister Rutley to The Bahamas today, and meet many of the wonderful Bahamians who make this nation so great. Today I am pleased to announce, with Minister Rutley, that later this year the UK will publish over 60 documents from the-then Foreign Office’s and No10’s historic archive that reference The Bahamian journey to independence.

As pioneering archivists such as Gail Saunders have taught us all, we have a shared responsibility to help every citizen of Britain and The Bahamas to have the opportunity to access the documents that have recorded moments of history. We hope these documents will help underpin the knowledge and teaching of history, and honours the memory of Gail Saunders.

Background – publishing of Archives.

Documents referring to the independence of The Bahamas were declassified previously, and held in paper copy at The National Archives in Kew. Representing several thousands pages of historic documentation, these are being digitised now and will be available in The Bahamas later this year to allow audiences direct access.

This project comes after Prime Minster Philip Davis visited The National Archives in London before the Coronation. It follows a formal request made by the late George Smith MP to the High Commissioner, earlier this year.

The British High Commissioner will visit the Bahamas Archives on Tuesday 11th July to discuss the project with Director Patrice Williams.

Examples of some of the documents include (in alphabetical order):
- Bahamas Independence Constitution
- Bahamas independence celebrations
- Bahamas Independence Conference
- Bahamas: independence defence issues; United States bases in the Bahamas, Tripartite…
- opposition to Independence by Greater Abaco Action Committee of Bahamas
- ‘Bahamas Independence’, despatch from Charles James Treadwell, British High Commissioner, Nassau
- visit of Prince of Wales to Bahamas for Independence celebrations, 10 July 1973
- appointment of Sir Milo Broughton Butler as Governor-General of the Bahamas after independence
- ‘The Bahamas: Ten Years of Independence’, despatch from Peter Heap, British High Commissioner, Nassau;
- valedictory despatch by Sir John Paul, Governor of the Bahamas
- briefs for visit of Dr H Kissinger (Assistant to US President) to UK
July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : National Security Bill becomes law [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 July 2023.

On 11 July, the National Security Bill became law after being passed by both Houses of Parliament and securing Royal Assent.

This new act brings together vital new measures to protect the British public, modernise counter-espionage laws and address the evolving threat to our national security.

With this new legislation, the UK is now a harder target for those states who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, which include espionage, foreign interference (including in our political system), sabotage, and acts that endanger life, such as assassination.

The new powers will help ensure that the UK remains the hardest operating environment for malign activity undertaken by foreign actors.

Russia remains the most acute threat to the UK’s security, though we have seen interference from China including to communities here in the UK, and Iran has made concerted efforts to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

We are facing growing threats from foreign states. Over the past years we’ve seen attempts to harm our people, damage our economy and undermine our democracy.

Iran’s recent attempts to kidnap or kill people living in the UK are beyond contempt, and a fundamental violation of our sovereignty.

The National Security Act provides the tools to expose this type of activity and hold those responsible to account.

The National Security Act overhauls our outdated espionage laws and will provide our law enforcement and intelligence agencies with new and updated tools to deter, detect and disrupt modern-day state threats. For the first time there is an offence of foreign interference, meaning it will now be illegal to engage in conduct that interferes with fundamental rights, such as voting and freedom of speech, that are essential to the UK’s democracy.

These powers will apply to an individual acting on behalf of any state, which means the UK will be better equipped to tackle the full spectrum of malign activity, whether in the form of disinformation, cyber-attacks, electoral interference or even physical attacks, including the barbaric use of chemical weapons.

Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum said:

We face state adversaries who operate at scale and who are not squeamish about the tactics they deploy to target people and businesses in the UK.

The National Security Act is a game changing update to our powers. We now have a modern set of laws to tackle today’s threats.

The act also introduces a new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which criminalises those acting covertly for states which pose the greatest threat to our national security and strengthens the resilience of UK democracy by bringing transparency to foreign political influence.

The scheme has been created to tackle covert influence in the UK, it is split into two parts: the political tier of FIRS makes any political influence activity undertaken at the direction of a foreign power registerable; and the enhanced tier – which is designed to target those countries that pose a risk to the safety or interests of the UK – will require registration of arrangements that are entered into with a specified foreign power, or entity controlled by a foreign power. Failure to register when required will be a criminal offence.

July 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with President Duda of Poland [July 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2023.

The Prime Minister met President of Poland Andrzej Duda at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The leaders praised the extensive cooperation between the UK and Poland, not least on defence where we continue to deepen our collaboration.

They agreed the war in Ukraine had demonstrated the significance of interoperability between NATO forces, as well as importance of strengthening defence industries across the Alliance.

President Duda updated the Prime Minister on his recent visit to Ukraine. The leaders discussed the need to put in place long-term security arrangements for Ukraine, to ensure they can never be threatened in the same way again.

They also reflected the need to continue to strengthen NATO in response to the threat posed by Russia.

The Prime Minister and President Duda discussed a number of wider ways the UK and Poland can work together, including on tackling illegal migration. They welcomed the efforts to develop a working arrangement between the UK and Frontex in this respect.

The leaders looked forward to seeing each other throughout the remainder of the summit.

July 16, 2023